Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	gift_n	spirit_n	wisdom_n	4,628	5	7.7590	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14087	Essaies politicke, and morall. By D.T. Gent	D. T. (Daniel Tuvill), d. 1660.	1608 (1608)	STC 24396; ESTC S118789	54,719	268

but the very bare chance of the dyce to saue it knew that to alleage his worthinesse knowne deseruing as other his friends had done was not the way to secure him from their malice but a meanes rather to set an edge vpon that envious dislike which so apparātly threatned his vtter ouerthrowe And therefore directed as it were by a better discerning wisdom then the rest hee chooseth out a path for the safetie of his Sonne directlie contrarie to that which they had trode omits the recitall of his merites as thinges not fitting to bee seene of a distempered sight acknowledgeth a faulte and in that regarde with great instancie desires the people in humble and submissiue tearmes to beare with the weakenesse of his yeeres and not to vrge the forfeiture of his vnadvised errour And indeede it is farre better some-times to confesse our selues tainted vvith such imputations as beeing vndeseruedlie cast vppon vs cannot greatlie blemish our reputation then by standing obstinatelie vppon tearmes of innocencie to contende with Greatnesse who would willingly enough perhaps in colder bloode admit a reconcilement so it might not seeme to proceede from any diversitie or alteration of opinion in themselues The third consideration is for what Nō omnis fert omnia tellus euery ground is not fit for euery seede no more is euery man for euery action The powerfull hand of irreprooueable wisdom hath divided our sufficiencie into little portions so that he who is excellent in the leading of a Company may happely prooue vnsufficient in the guiding and conducting of an Armie which Saturninus did not sticke to instance on himselfe when those which were his equalls in the warres were minded to invest him with that absolute cōmand Wherfore whosoeuer he be that out of desert as it were shall seeme to challenge a speciall approbation of his own dexterity beyond all men in the right performance of all things hee doth but manifest his ouerweening weaknesse in presumptuous arrogancie and what-ere hee be that shall yeeld to him heerin his vnwoorthy basenesse in seruile flatterie The heathen thought it a thing impossible that any one Deitie should be of power so infinite as to be able of it selfe to swaye the rule and gouernment of this whole Vniuerse and therefore did they seeke out Gods of an inferiour nature on whom as vppon ministring Spirits Jupiter the Superiour of the Covent might in some sort vnburthen him-selfe of so great a care allotting to euery one of them according to their seuerall endowments a speciall charge And heer-hence it came that one was surnamed ENYALIOS another MANTOOS a third KERDOOS and that Venus had her soueraignty allotted her in Nuptiall-chambers rather then in Martiall-tents as beeing a thing altogether vndecent that one of her composition should any way intermeddle with Armes But that vvee may descend againe a little lower to creatures of our ovvne moulde doe wee not plainlie see that in the dispensation of spirituall gifts there is so great a difference and varietie that hee who hath the spirit of wisedom may want the vtterance of knowledge he that hath fayth may be altogether destitute of the power to worke miracles and hee that is endued with diuers tongues may bee thoroughlie vnfurnisht of the meanes to interpret them The reason wherof is deliuered by the mouth of Truth in the 12. of the first to the Corinthians to be only this viz. that there might bee amongst vs a necessary vse one of another and that like so many seuerall members wee might serue for the comforting and building vp of one and the same bodie Moses howsoeuer he excelled in all the learning of the Egyptians yet because himselfe was not an Aaron that could vtter things nor a Iethro that could order them in such manner as was requisite hee was faine to craue the assistance of the one and willingly follow the directions of the other There is the like diuersitie in the distribution of such gifts as are vsuallie tearmed naturall so that he who is swiftest in running is not alwaies the nimblest in wrestling Castor gaudet equis ovo prognatus eodem pugnis Euery man hath his speciall talent giuen him frō aboue and ought therefore to endeuor as much as in him lyes to beautifie adorne that Sparta which is befalne him For whosoeuer shal attempt further hee shall but manifest his weakenesse and reape deserued laughter for his recompence Antony angling one day in the presence of Cleopatra grewe discontent because hee caught not any thing but she perceiuing it willed him in smyling manner to lay-by the lyne as fitter for the Egyptians to handle then for him whose handes were better taught how to subdue whole Countries and conquer Kingdoms then how to manage so mean an instrument Hence is it that to giue out confidently of any man without exception that he is skilfull in many things is but secretly to insinuate that hee is eminent in none Mans iudgement and capacitie is bounded with verie strict limits And it is a prouerbe no lesse true then ancient that he which grypes at most doth alwaies lightly fasten vppon least Wherfore what-ere hee be that desires to advantage his friende by any commendations let him instance his speeches alwaies on particulars besides let him haue regard to the qualitie of his person Philip hearing his sonne Alexander sing wonderfull well at a certaine banquet wherevnto himselfe was invited did not stick to vpbraid him with his excellencie therein asking him if hee were not ashamed to be so skilfull in a facultie which was so farre belowe him thinking it should seeme that the following of such things as were no lesse ful of vanity then voyde of profit might argue a neglect of honourable enterprizes and so fal out to be preiudiciall to his thēgrowing reputation rather then otherwise And indeede Prayses are no way gracefull vnlesse they be presented with the troupe and in the traine of such as are proper vnto vs. It is a kinde of scorne and indignitie to pryze a man by such abilities as holde not some decent correspondencie with his ranke as likewise by such as ought not to be the chiefe and principall in him And this Demosthenes knew full well who hauing alwaies been a professed enemie to the fore-saide Philip King of Macedon hearing that Aeschines and Philocrates highlie commended him for that he was well-spoken faire of countenaunce could with ease swallow downe the largest cups did not sticke to retort their speeches backe to his disgrace telling them that none of all those qualities were any way beseeming the person of a prince For the one was rather the propertie of an Advocate the other of a Woman the third of a Sponge So that prayses vnlesse they be somwhat sutable to the estate condition of the partie whō wee praise they may prooue to be burthensome vnto him rather then otherwise and therefore due consideration must be had of those things for which we goe